U-Matic

African World Festival 8/17/90

U-Matic S tape containing footage shot at the African World Festival at Hart Plaza on August 17, 1990. The footage features attendees, vendors, two drumming groups, a ceremony including a dignitary from Madagascar, and a woodcarver at work.

The tape begins with a pan around Hart Plaza. A crowd is gathered around a group of drummers--including Sundiata Keita--and dancers near Dodge Fountain, and vendors are set up around the plaza. The camera then moves inside the crowd surrounding the drummers for a closer view.

After a cut, another group of drummers and dancers are shown performing on the main amphitheater stage. The camera also gets several shots of the crowd watching the performance.

Afterward, the camera moves to the surface level of Hart Plaza for a series of shots of vendors' wares and event attendees. Wooden sculpture, jewelry, and paintings are all shown.

The camera then returns to the amphitheater for a presentation. A woman sings Zimbabwe's National Anthem "Ishe Komborera Afrika" as members of the crowd join hands or raise their fists. Afterward, the camera records a portion of an address given by Pierrot Rajaonarivelo, the ambassador from Madagascar to the United States (and future Prime Minister).

The recording cuts away from the speech and resumes with an artist carving wooden figures beside a trailer in front of a small crowd. The camera pans from him to several finished pieces before the recording ends.

The video is on a 3M UCA-20S U-Matic S tape with a handwritten 3M label on its top. The tape is housed within a black plastic latching case with a matching label on its cover.